Wake-Up Call
by trekhorse42
Summary: June just awoke from a deep, long slumber. Her mind seems to be wiped clean, and in hope of finding some answers, she stumbles outside of her house. Only problems and questions plague her from that moment on. Since when was she mayor? Can June step up to the post she once had but can't remember, and find out what happened to cause her long year of deep sleep? Note: some cuss words.
1. Chapter 1

Crickets.

They chirped softly outside, providing a melody to the owl hooting somewhere in the distance.

 _Tssk tssk tssk tssk._

What was that?

 _Tssk tssk._

Could it be? A cockroach crawling across the floor?

The very thought caused her to jerk awake and sit up.

Her room was dark.

 _Tssk tssk tssk._

She had to kill it.

Being as quiet as possible, she slipped out of bed and looked around in the darkness for something she could use. By the foot of the bed, she spotted a pair of shoes. Perfect.

Slipping her feet into them, she cornered the cockroach and smashed it. A smile came to her face. It was a job well done.

When she looked up, a face stared back at her. She gasped and jumped almost a foot in the air. Messy brown hair sat above a pale-skinned face with sad looking blue eyes. Was that really her? June? Just how long had she been asleep?

Hoping to get some answers, she climbed down a set of stairs, which led into a living room. The furniture was only shadows, and June searched the wall for a light switch.

After stumbling around and tripping over unknown objects, she found a switch by the door.

Orange and white furniture crowded the room, staring her in the face. June suddenly felt as if she'd been transported into the future. It all looked so futuristic, and the sense of disorientation grabbed her in a chokehold.

She scrabbled out the door into the dark night.

An ocean breeze chilled the warm summer air. Waves splashed on a shore somewhere nearby. Crickets sang in the night.

June took a deep breath and soaked in the calmness of the night. After glancing around at the bushes with blooming flowers that created a yard, she took a hesitant step.

Several fruit trees bordered the yard, and June decided to find out what lay beyond them.

As she walked, the sound of the ocean didn't fade, and the rushing of a river greeted her ears.

Through a crack in the trees she spotted the gleam of rushing water, tinted with reflections of stars that seemed to be dancing on the surface.

"Wow," June breathed, creeping through the trees towards the mystical scene.

Once standing by the edge of the river, she could fully take in the beauty.

The deep blue water provided a perfect mirror, with only minimal rippling. It looked as smooth as glass…

June reached her hand out, stretching further and further. It seemed like part of a dream, too good to be true.

Without warming, June felt her balance shift. She let out a yelp as the water came rushing up to meet her.

" _No!"_

The freezing water claimed her face first, filling her mouth and attempting to suffocate her. It dragged the rest of her body in the river, grabbing her clothes and yanking her down, down, down.

June struggled, flailing about. Her lungs were about to explode, but she couldn't find the surface! It seemed to be miles away, and the thought of giving up crossed her mind. Just die a watery death without answering the questions of whom she was and where she was…

No. She had to survive!

A surge of energy helped her fight to the surface. She gasped at the air, trying to fill her lungs. However, her heart stopped at the sight of a drop-off.

A waterfall, and she was closing in on it fast.

"Help!" June screamed. Maybe someone would hear her. Maybe she wouldn't die. However, the chances didn't look in her favor.

The water continued carrying June to her doom. She struggled to keep her head above the water and continue breathing. Only five feet remained. June closed her eyes and waited for the worst.

Something jerked one of her legs back and nearly pulled her underwater. Her eyes flashed open, and she paddled, keeping her head above the water.

A tree root must have wrapped itself around her ankle!

June somehow managed to steer herself to the edge of the river and get a good grip on a rock protruding from the land. With a fierce tug, she yanked her ankle free, and clambered onto the grass.

Finally safe, June lay on the grass. Her heart was still racing, and her breathing was labored. She closed her eyes, glad to be alive. The soaking wet clothes clung to her body and she shivered.

"…Mayor June?" Opening her eyes, the girl found a horse staring down at her.

 _Mayor_ June?

 **So what do you guys think? It's been a while since I've wrote an Animal Crossing story, but I hope to continue this one! Anything I should improve upon? Leave a review or PM me, I welcome helpful critique or just comments in general. Thank you so much for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Since when was she mayor? She didn't even know where she was! "I'm not mayor…" she mumbled.

"It _is_ you!" The horse neighed in excitement. "Come on, let's get you inside." The horse extended a hoof and helped June to her feet.

What was going on? Was this a dream? Maybe she hit her head after falling in the river. Or maybe she never even made it out of the river…

The horse guided June through the trees, and her house appeared out of the gloom of the night. Oh no. Not the horrifying room that grabbed her and trapped her in an illusion of the future.

"No, I'm fine, I think I should stay outside to get some fresh air," June tried saying as the horse dragged her to the house.

The horse paid no attention and opened the door. June braced herself, closing her eyes and waiting for the worst.

"What are you doing, silly?" The horse nickered.

June slowly opened her eyes, almost afraid that the house would bite her. Taking a deep breath, she scanned the room. It didn't seem quite as bad as it did the first time.

The horse dragged her upstairs, and after flicking on a light switch, she shuffled through a closet and pulled out some clothes, handing them to June. "Put these on. I'll be waiting downstairs." The horse closed the door behind her June could hear her hooves echoing off the wood steps.

How strange. June changed into the dry clothes, her mind straining to figure out what was going on. The horse apparently knew her quite well. Maybe they were friends sometime earlier in June's life? But why couldn't June remember?

She went downstairs and found the horse in the kitchen, a mouth-watering scent wafting away from the stove.

"What are you making?" June asked.

The horse spun around. "You'll find out soon enough. Now sit down and watch TV or something." She ushered June over to a fluffy orange and white couch, handed her a thick quilt, and turned the TV on. Satisfied, she rushed back to the kitchen.

Heeding the horse's orders, June laid down on the couch and curled up with the quilt. On the TV a game show was playing, which looked mildly interesting. What was more interesting was June's friend bustling around in the kitchen.

The striking red and yellow racing jersey reflected the horse's spunky and enthusiastic personality.

"What's your name?" June called out.

The horse turned, astonished. "You don't remember me? Victoria?"

June shook her head. Victoria. It didn't seem familiar. "Sorry," she said.

Hopefully not offended, Victoria returned to cooking. The smell from the kitchen continued to get better and better.

Trying to pass time quicker, June stared at the TV, seeing but not comprehending. When she thought she couldn't resist the smell of food any longer, Victoria called out, "Ready for a midnight snack?"

"You bet!" June jumped off the couch and strode over to the kitchen table, where Victoria was setting plates and putting pots and pans on the table.

Sitting down, June spotted spaghetti in one pan and tomato sauce in another. "This looks great!" She exclaimed. Her stomach growled in agreement.

Both girls started eating. After the initial urge of hunger had been satisfied, June decided to start asking some questions.

"What's the date?"

"Huh?" Victoria looked up in surprise.

"What day is it? What month? What year?"

The horse set down her fork and swallowed. "You really don't know?"

June nodded.

"What exactly _is_ the last thing you remember?" She asked slowly.

The question set June to thinking. What happened before she woke up? She tried to remember, but she couldn't. She just couldn't. "Nothing. I don't remember anything from before waking up."

Alarm spread across Victoria's face. "You need to go to a doctor." She jumped out of her seat and hauled June away from the half-eaten plate of spaghetti.

"Hey! I'm not finished!" She protested.

The horse paid no attention as they rushed out the door and hurried through the town. Victoria didn't let go of June's wrist. They passed trees, a garden of sparkling flowers, lit-up houses, and crossed a bridge over the river. At last they came to a stop in front of a cozy two-storied house. The lights were on, beckoning the duo inside.

Victoria knocked.

The door opened and a hen wearing a red argyle shirt stood in the doorway. "Victoria?" She clucked. Then, seeing who stood with Victoria, her eyes widened. "June?"

Victoria wasted no time. "Hurry up and let us in, I don't want anyone to see her. She doesn't remember anything."

The chicken stepped to the side and let them in.

Once the door was shut, she asked, "You don't remember _any_ thing?"

June nodded. "I just woke up not too long ago."

The chicken appeared genuinely confused.

Not for the last time, June wondered just what _had_ happened to her. Would life ever be the same? Would she ever remember what the same _was?_

 **Sorry about the wait! I'll try to be more prompt with the upcoming chapters. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and as always, I welcome any ideas, comments, or anything you think I can improve. Thank you for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

The hen and horse ushered June to the couch in one corner of the homely living room. They sat down in armchairs. The questions began.

"So what exactly happened?" The hen asked Victoria.

"I was out walking around and I spotted June laying on the ground soaking wet. I helped her to her house, let her change, then made a midnight snack. At last I brought her over here," the horse finished.

June noticed a small framed picture on a side table. It showed the chicken and a blue bear standing beside each other, smiling for the camera. A small ribbon at the bottom of the frame read "Ava and Bluebear."

"June, I'd like to hear about what's happened to you. What do you remember?" the hen, who must have been Ava, said.

The human eyed Ava, having a hard time in believing she was a doctor. "All I remember is waking up and going outside. Then I fell in the river, managed to get out, and Victoria found me. That's all. I don't know what day it is, what town I'm in, why I'm here, or who either of you are."

A silence filled the room Ava appeared to be trying to comprehend what June stated. "You remember nothing?"

June nodded.

"Hm." She seemed to become very distressed, and then jumped to her feet. "I'll be back." The chicken hurried up a flight of stairs.

The reaction wasn't what June hoped for. It only made her feel worse. It was as if it was _her_ fault for not remembering anything. She just woke up! That's all.

"So who am I?" June asked Victoria.

The horse opened her mouth to speak, then closed it, thinking. "Well… you're the mayor of Mustang. About a year ago you disappeared without a trace. The villagers searched all over, so did the police. You were just gone."

June raised her eyebrows. "Seriously? I thought I was asleep that entire time. Or knocked out. Or something."

A squeaking filled the quiet and Ava appeared at the bottom of the stairs. She held a composition notebook in one wing. "This is a notebook with all the cases I've worked on as doctor. None of them have been anything like this." She sat down and flipped through the pages. "The closest is a case to this that I can think of is an animal that disappeared for a week and didn't remember anything for a few days. I still never found out what happened… that poor wolf." Ava stared at the page, a small frown coming across her face. "At least his memory came back after some time."

"So maybe June's memory will return," Victoria chipped in, "we just need more time."

The hen only shook her head. "With being out for such a long time, I don't think it'll work out the same way."

Panic gripped June. She might not remember her life? Her family, valued childhood memories… all gone? But maybe it was for the best. Maybe she'd had a crummy childhood, an abusive family. However, she might never know.

A knock on the door caused everyone to jump.

"Ava, it's me, Biskit. I have a question."

Everyone shared an uncertain glance.

"Hold on a minute. I'm in the middle of something," Ava replied. In a whisper she said, "Victoria, June, go upstairs and stay quiet. I'll make this fast."

The horse and human did as told and disappeared up the stairs to Ava's comfortable cabin-like bedroom. Both stood in the center, listening as the door opened and the hen and Biskit conversed.

Straining to hear the conversation but being unable to, June crept over to the window where the curtains were pulled closed. She pulled one back and peered out into the night.

Plenty of trees and flowers coated the landscape. However, motion caught her eye.

An apple tree concealed a figure. Straining her eyes, June decided it was a wolf staring right at her. Once she realized that, the wolf ducked back behind the tree.

June let the blinds fall shut.

He saw her. Did he recognize her? Who was her? He acted too suspiciously to be _just_ a villager.

"Come on," Victoria elbowed her.

"Huh?"

"Biskit left, let's go back downstairs."

June had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the visitor leave.

She followed the horse downstairs and spotted Ava who looked like she wanted to bang her head against the door. "That darn dog! He comes to me complaining of a stomach ache, but when I bring up the book he's borrowing, he promptly leaves. He's lost my book! I should have known better," she squawked.

Victoria looked back at June with wide eyes. June only shrugged.

Victoria tried to distract Ava from her rant. "Um… aren't you going to try and help June?"

The chicken stopped, and suddenly realized what was happening at the moment. "Oh, right…" she trailed off. "There's nothing I can do."

"What?!" Victoria and June said at the same time.

Ava shrugged her shoulders. "At the moment, anyways. I'll work on it. For now, you should make sure no one knows that June is back. I'll let you know if I figure anything out."

That was their invitation to leave. The two visitors left, and began their walk into the night.

"What now?" June whispered as the crept through the trees.

"You can stay in your house and I'll-"

A figure stepped out of the shadows and into their path. In the pale moonlight, June could see silvery fur. It was the wolf!

"June? You'll be coming with me."

From out of the pocket of his trench coat, he pulled out a badge.

 _Oh_ crap.

 **So what do you think? Interesting or boring? I'd like to hear from you! Thank you for reading, I'll try and be quicker posting the next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

June began backing away.

"Who are you?" Victoria asked, her voice quivering.

"I'm from Intel A.C.S., a branch of the security system. And according to my records, June needs to come with me."

Victoria looked back at June, clearly torn by leaving her re-found friend.

Despite the growing urge to turn and run, something about the wolf intrigued her. "Don't worry about me, Victoria. I can handle myself." She stepped forward, the intensity of his gaze drawing her forward.

"But…"

June looked over at Victoria. "I promise. I'll be back." With that, she walked away with the wolf.

What was she doing? Was she crazy? The questions echoed in the back of her head as she strode confidently alongside a complete stranger.

As they walked through the night and past the shadowy trees, June commented, "not much of a talker, huh?"

He didn't reply. He didn't even look at her.

"What's your name?" She prodded.

Still no response.

At last they came to a clearing. A railroad and train station split the landscape. Parked beside the train station was a black car. "Get in the backseat," the wolf growled.

June obeyed, and the wolf got in the driver's seat. He started the car, and then pulled across the railroad tracks and began their journey into the night.

With nothing to say, June stared out the window and let her mind wander. Despite having just woken up from a long slumber, she felt her eyes slowly growing heavy…

Hunter glanced at the backseat. The human must have fallen asleep.

Her case… it was so similar to his, except hers lasted a longer period of time. They never figured out where he disappeared to that week, or what caused him to black out. Exactly a year ago he woke up on a bench in the city and walked into the office, much to everyone's surprise.

Roxanne's reaction hadn't been what he hoped, however. The fox didn't embrace him with a giant hug or even a kiss. Just surprise. That's when he truly realized his dream was shattered. He would never have her. The fox wasn't interested in him. At the moment, she couldn't even take her eyes off Gruu, a young tiger that joined their crew, much to Hunter's distaste.

Since the day he woke up and walking into that office, he had never been the same. All hope was lost, and anger and hate clouded his vision. He hated his job, he hated being around the others. Yet he couldn't walk away…

June awoke when the car jerked to a stop. Looking out the window, she saw soft streetlights illuminating a plaza. Darkened shops formed a circle at the edges. In the center sat a fountain with a mystical looking statue perched on top.

The wolf opened her door. "Get out," he said.

She obeyed, and followed him to an alley. Halfway down, he reached out and opened a hidden door. June stepped inside.

Within, there wasn't much to see. It appeared to be a small dark room with plenty of crates.

The wolf walked around a wall of crates, and following him, June was surprised to see a staircase! How much stranger could it get? Where was he taking her? Curiosity killed the cat.

At the top of the stairs was a door. The wolf opened it, and surprisingly bright light flooded the darkness. Once her eyes adjusted, June saw a bear sitting at a computer, and a fox and tiger relaxing on a couch. A black and white dog stood in the opening to a hallway. All animals had their heads turned to the arrivals.

"Is that who I think it is?" The dog asked.

"Yeah," the wolf growled. "It's her."

What was June getting herself into?

 **Let me know what you think! Good, bad? I'd like to know! Thank you for reading.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Is the spare room in decent condition?" The wolf asked.

The bear replied, spinning in his desk chair to face them. "If that means it has a mattress that isn't covered in dust, then yes, it's ready."

Without a word, the wolf grabbed June's wrist and dragged her towards the hallway. The dog stepped out of the way.

At the end of the hall was a door, which June was led into. She stopped and stared once the lights were flicked on.

It was mostly unfurnished, with only a mattress lying on the wood floor. The concrete walls had no windows, leaving nothing to look at. It was only a small room with a mattress, pillow, and a heavy blanket folded up in one corner.

"Rest until morning."

Before June could say anything, the door slammed shut behind her. She whirled around and considered opening it, but decided it best not to. The wolf apparently had some things to take care of.

With a sigh, June padded over to the mattress laying on the floor, kicked off her shoes, and sat down. It would be a long night.

This would be great fun. Explaining why he disappeared without a word and then returned with the girl whose case they had spent months dwelling over. Of course he wouldn't be a hero for finding her, instead he would be made to feel guilty because he didn't tell the others. Why couldn't the others just appreciate what he did? Why did they have to keep making him pissed off?

Sure enough, standing at the end of the hallway was Roxanne. She blocked him from passing. He fixed her with a "get out of my way or die" look. She ignored it.

"What the hell, Hunter?" She said, paws on her hips. "Why do you keep disappearing? Where are you going? What are you doing?"

Hunter couldn't help but lower his gaze to the floor as he tried to suppress his anger.

Roxanne continued. "We're supposed to work as a team here at Intel A.C.S., remember? It's not an individual operation. We actually have to plan out this stuff. It's not a free for all."

His paws curled into fists. He _knew_ it wasn't a free for all. This was _her_ fault. He disappeared to get away from her. "Get out of my face," he snapped, looking up.

"No."

He couldn't stop it. He shoved her back and barged by, heading for the door.

Gruu jumped in his way. "Don't you dare," the tiger growled.

It was so tempting to give the weakling what he was asking for. A punch to the face would do it. But no. Then he wouldn't be able to hold back. "You don't belong here," Hunter muttered, restraining himself. "This place went to shit when you arrived." He stepped around the tiger and continued to the door. Thankfully Gruu had enough sense to leave him alone.

He flew down the steps and out into the night. Everything in the city was so quiet. The soft streetlamps illuminated the plaza.

Hunter wandered over to a bench by the fountain, which was lit up from underwater. It was beautiful at night. The water gently flowed over the rim and landed with a quiet splash in the rest of the water below. And it just kept repeating, over and over.

Why didn't he just quit and walk away from all the A.C.S. stuff? Everyone surely hated him. He wasn't doing any good. But he had found June, thanks to a camera he installed in a tree outside her house without the knowledge of the others.

And that was what he lived for. Solving cases. And that was why he couldn't quit. Despite his growing hate for the others, he loved his job of being out in the field. It was what he lived for, and this was the only place he could fulfill that need.

 **Sorry for taking a while to update, I've been busy lately. No promises on when the next update will be, maybe next weekend. Anyway, thank you for reading! I'd love it if you left a review! Peace out.**


	6. Chapter 6

June sat up when she heard a knock at the door.

The night had slipped away. Sometimes she napped, and other times she paced back and forth thinking.

"Yeah?" she replied to the knock at the door.

"Can I come in?" a female voice asked.

"Sure."

The door fell open, and a red fox stood in the doorway. "How are you doing?" she asked, stepping in and closing the door.

"Fine." June sat on the edge of the mattress and watched as the fox approached. "What's going on?" She asked.

The fox's trench coat flared out as she suddenly lowered herself beside June. "We're the team that's been working on your case since you went missing."

June raised her eyebrows slightly. She'd already figured out that much. "And?"

"And we'll have to ask you some questions and you'll stay here until further notice."

"Yippee," the human said sarcastically. A second later, her stomach growled. "Is there any chance you're going to feed me?"

A smile snuck onto the fox's face. "You're in luck, it's breakfast time. Come with me."

They both rose and exited the room. "By the way, my name is Roxanne," the fox said as they stopped at another door in the hallway. She opened it, and June peered inside.

In the middle sat a table, along one wall a couch, and on another wall was a counter. June zeroed in on an open box of donuts sitting on the counter. However, Roxanne broke her from her trance.

"This is the rest of the crew." She made a gesture to encompass the other animals in the room.

A tiger and bear sat at the table, while a dog lay splayed across the couch.

"This is the rest of the team. Well, minus Hunter. He was the one who brought you here. Anyway, that's Scuff," she said, pointing at the dog. He instantly sat up and nodded to June. "Hi, it's nice to finally meet you."

June just smiled and returned the nod. There was nothing she could see.

Roxanne continued. "That's Gruu," the white tiger raised a paw in greeting. "And that's Claw. He's pretty much the guy who keeps us in line."

The bear offered a small smile and commented, "not that I'm doing a very job of that lately."

"Hunter's a wild card. It's not your fault," Roxanne replied, striding towards the box of donuts. June followed, her mouth watering at the sight of a crispy glazed one.

"That's what we call breakfast," Roxanne commented as she watched June grab a donut and take a bite.

For a moment, nothing else mattered except for the sweet vanilla icing melting in June's mouth. Mm. She loved donuts.

His stomach growled. What he wouldn't give for a donut and coffee. Oh well.

Hunter hadn't left the bench since he sat down sometime during the middle of the night. The sun peeking over the tops of the buildings caused him to jolt awake. Thankfully, there wasn't anyone strolling about the plaza yet.

Hunter stretched and rose to his feet. He didn't want to go back to the headquarters yet. Instead, he decided to go to a nearby coffee shop. Maybe there he could get his mind back together.

With a clear route in mind, Hunter started through the still-closed stores and down the narrow alleys that were still untouched by morning light.

When he was almost there, a voice called out behind him. A voice he knew quite well.

"Hunter!"

The wolf didn't stop. Anger began flooding his mind. He didn't want to talk to her.

"Hunter! Stop, please!" She called out.

Anger told him to keep going, but his brain knew otherwise. He slowly came to a stop but didn't turn around.

The pitter-patter of her shoes grew louder behind him, and then she came into sight and stood before him.

She looked up at him and began speaking, her voice as hard as steel. "Look, we're glad you found June. But please, just quit running off. Our group needs you; you're the most experienced field agent. Now it's even more important that you stay because we have June. We need your help."

Hunter's anger subsided for a moment as he listened to what the fox was saying.

This was his job. He needed to push aside his feelings of hate and get to work. Except he knew exactly how that would go. The second he walked in the door, all peace of mind would fade.

"Are you coming?" Roxanne asked impatiently.

Hunter closed his eyes and sighed. He wanted to work on June's case. It was so similar to his. But the only way to do that would be to clear the air between him and Roxanne. At last, he said, "we need to talk. Come on, I'm going to get coffee." He continued walking to his destination. Roxanne's shoes pitttered and pattered on the concrete behind him.

 **Interesting? Boring? Is there anything you would like to see happen? I appreciate feedback so I can improve as a writer. Anyway, thank your for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

The duo sat at a table for two by the window of a coffee shop. Hunter took a sip from coffee cup and then took a bite out of a donut with chocolate icing. Nothing sat in front of Roxanne. She only leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, waiting for Hunter to say what this was all about.

At last, the wolf spoke. "I need to clear the air between us."

The fox looked on expectantly.

"I used to like you, Roxanne. You continued to deny me. I continued to keep trying to find a way to your heart. Then Gruu showed up… he was weak. I didn't understand what you saw in him."

Roxanne rolled her eyes. "This is what everything has been about? Me and Gruu?"

Hunter continued, ignoring Roxanne's comment. "I still don't understand, and I still don't like him. But what really makes me mad is that you… you never acknowledged me. You don't show me any respect. That's all I want, some respect."

Roxanne nodded and sat up. "Ok, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings and apparently didn't respect you. Can we go back to HQ now?"

Hunter's paw clenched into a fist. No. Relax. He tried to focus on the soothing music playing softly in the background. "This is what I'm talking about, how you don't respect me. Will you just take me seriously?" His voice got deeper and edgier with each sentence.

As if composing herself, Roxanne sighed and looked out at the empty street. "Ok," she said after a minute. "Is this the reason you keep barging out and getting royally pissed off every time I look at you wrong?"

Hunter nodded.

"Alright." She paused and then continued in a sincere voice. "I didn't realize that was my fault, and I'm sorry for all I've put you through. I'm with Gruu now though, and I apologize for hurting your feelings, but I was never "into" you."

"Thank you," Hunter whispered, dropping his gaze down to his empty plate.

"I won't be so senseless anymore. I just didn't realize how my behavior was affecting you. But despite that, you're a valuable member to this team, and we need your skills." With that, Roxanne rose from her seat and left.

Hunter watched through the window as she crossed the empty street and disappeared into an alleyway.

At least that was off his chest. Maybe now his job would be tolerable.

Yet instead of leaving, Hunter remained staring out the window with a paw on his coffee cup.

 **So do you think Roxanne is actually sincere in what she said, or just trying to get Hunter off her case?**

 **Do you feel like I'm giving the characters enough emotion and personality?**


	8. Chapter 8

June sat awkwardly at the table eating her donut. Roxanne had left to go find Hunter, muttering something about how it was time to get to work.

She'd been gone for almost thirty minutes. Since then, none of the remaining agents had said a word. June felt as if she was preventing them in some way, but she didn't know what to do. Offer to leave? But where would she go? It wasn't as if she had anywhere to go, even just within the building. And she'd seen enough of that room she'd spent the night in. Her only option was to wait.

"How about we show June around the place?"

The words caused everyone sitting at the table to jump. Both agents turned to Scuff, who had gotten to his feet.

Gruu and Claw exchanged a glance. "Um, alright," Claw agreed. "It couldn't hurt."

The dog motioned for June to follow, and they exited the room.

They stood in the hallway. Scuff pointed at the door at the end. "That's where you stayed last night. It's our spare room." He motioned to the other doors. "The one on the left is our bedroom, not that anyone sleeps much. The one on the right is our tech room, with computers and video cameras and all that."

The dog turned around and swept a paw at the open room that the hallway led to. "This is our living room. Claw's got a desk, we've got a couch and some chairs, and it all works out."

June nodded, surveying the room. "Is that it?"

Scuff shrugged. "Not much to show, I guess."

The door on the far side of the living room opened and in stepped Roxanne.

"Where's Hunter?" Scuff asked.

"Coming," Roxanne mumbled. "And he better hurry since we can't start without him."

The three returned to the room where they had breakfast. They made a quick decision to go into the tech room. June followed, since she didn't know what else to do.

The tech room was filled with all sorts of gadgets and wires. There must have been at least ten tables and desks, and every surface was covered with some sort of technology. There wasn't an empty surface in sight. To top it off, TV screens crowded an entire wall.

Claw sat down in front of a very modern looking touch screen computer. He tapped the screen, opening, closing and moving windows in a flurry. It amazed June to watch.

After about ten minutes of silence, the main door into the apartment could be heard opening.

"Come on Hunter, we're waiting on you," Roxanne called.

A few seconds later a wolf appeared. "It's on C542. The camera's been there since she disappeared. She never goes in, only comes out," Hunter mumbled.

Claw brought up a video of what June recognized as her house.

"Go to five four twenty three," Hunter said.

The bear did as told, and the video showed June running out of her house in fright.

June wanted to smack herself for looking like a complete idiot. Her brown hair stuck up all over the place, and her blue eyes were wide with fright as she stumbled away.

Hunter continued. "This was the first activity for seven months. No one entered since we went to check out the place a few months after she disappeared."

June looked over her shoulder at the wolf. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed and trench coat covering his body. So calm and collected. Bored almost.

"Thank you, Hunter," Claw said. "Now I believe it's time to ask June some questions. Scuff…?"

The dog nodded.

Oh great. More questions?


	9. Chapter 9

Victoria rolled over and stared at the red digital numbers. Eight o'clock. It was time to get up.

But she couldn't. Everything that happened the previous night, how could it possibly be true? Did June really return and not even remember Victoria, then willingly leave her to go with a stranger?

It could easily all be a dream. There was only one way to find out.

Ava.

Victoria jumped out of bed, changed, and went trotting across town. Out of breath, she arrived at the hen's house.

She knocked on the door.

After a pause, the door opened.

"Victoria? Is something wrong?" Ava asked with concern in her voice.

"June… she… a…" the horse panted, stumbling into the house and flopping down in a regal armchair.

The hen hurried into the kitchen and returned with a cup of tea that she offered to Victoria.

"Thank you," Victoria said, taking a sip. "Was last night real?" She finally asked.

Ava nodded.

"Ok." Victoria composed herself and set the tea aside. "As we were returning to June's house, this wolf stopped us and took June. He said he belonged to a branch of security. I can't remember what he called it."

Victoria received a wide-eyed look from Ava. "June's gone?!"

The horse nodded, feeling guilt weighing down on her shoulders. All she had to do was keep her friend safe, and she couldn't even do that! She didn't even put up a fight!

All of a sudden, the thoughts and guilt began bombarding Victoria. "I need to go," she decided, jumping out of the chair and leaving before Ava could say a word.

Outside, the fresh air and bright blue sky eased some of Victoria's thoughts, but not all of them. She needed to find June. And June wasn't in Mustang.

With no idea of where else to go, Victoria headed to the train station. Maybe they went to the city.

The train took forever to arrive, but when it did, Victoria jumped on and sat in the first seat. Glancing around, she discovered she was the only one in the train car. It wasn't surprising; there weren't usually many animals that traveled.

Victoria stared out the window as the train lurched forward and rumbled along the tracks. The green hills and fields became a blur, slowly transitioning to a dark green forest. Then it all disappeared as the train shot through a tunnel, eventually slowing and returning into sunlight and the city.

Relieved that the journey was over, Victoria hopped off and strolled across the city plaza, gazing in wonder, as usual.

She'd been to the city plenty of times before, but each time she couldn't help but admire the elegant stone fountain and the colorful stores that lined the plaza. It'd be great to live in the city and on some days the thought of moving tempted Victoria. However, she couldn't bear leaving her friends.

Victoria passed by Gracie Grace and paused to look in the windows. Fancy plaid shirts and cute layered dresses clothed the mannequins. Victoria had a pair of sandals that would match one of those dresses perfectly…

No. She couldn't afford to get side-tracked. June was out there somewhere. Victoria needed to find her friend. But where to start? Should she just wander randomly down streets and alleys in hope of stumbling across her friend? Was there even a point in that? June could be miles away for all Victoria knew…

With a loud sigh, Victoria headed over to one of the benches by the fountain.

A flash of gray caught her eye.

It was the wolf in the trench coat! He was striding towards a shaded alley.

Victoria glanced around the empty plaza, and then began following him from a distance.

He passed through the alley and onto another street. Victoria stopped to watch for a second, and a fox sprinted past her! The fox ran up to the wolf and they spoke for a minute. Then Victoria followed them to a coffee shop.

The horse contemplated following them in, but decided to hang around the corner and keep an eye out.

Eventually the fox left, and then the wolf. Victoria followed the wolf to another alley, where he entered a building.

What was Victoria supposed to do? She was standing in an alley in the city. She just _stalked_ some animal in order to find her friend. What else could she do? She had to go inside.

With trembling hooves, Victoria crept to the door and twisted the knob. Slowly, she pulled it open a crack. Peering inside, darkness stared her back in the face. She slipped inside and closed the door behind her.

Silence.

Darkness.

What now? Part of Victoria was sure the wolf would jump out from nowhere and capture her.

The horse waited. Nothing happened.

Finally, she looked around instead of standing frozen in fear, and realized that in the very dim light she could see the shapes of crates.

Victoria moved towards a faint break in the crates and spotted a faint light halfway up the wall.

A staircase!

Before she could give it a second thought, Victoria climbed up the creaky steps and stopped in front of the door.

This was it. This would be either the most heroic thing she'd done in her life, or the stupidest thing.

Regardless, she yanked open the door.

 **Can you tell it's from Victoria's perspective? Is it written differently enough from June's character? Also, I decided I'm going to discontinue this story since I'm not really "into" it anymore. Sorry about that, but I can't thank you enough for reading this far!**


End file.
